


12 Flavors

by Toothlesshoodie



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Established Relationship, He's cool, It's all fluff, M/M, Sonia Kaspbrak's A+ Parenting, also like, and it wont be so don't worry, its not that kind of fic, like all of it, many ice cream, richie and eddie adore each other, supportive old guy loves reddie, they're gay af, you can read every chapter without being left on a cliff hanger
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-19 02:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14864702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toothlesshoodie/pseuds/Toothlesshoodie
Summary: Richie takes Eddie on a date to a special ice cream parlor every month. He spends the dates reminding Eddie of milestones they’ve shared throughout their relationship, all the while falling even deeper in love.





	1. January 1st, 2017, Cookie Dough:

“Two cookie doughs please, one cone and one bowl.” Richie orders, he's bent over the counter with his hand outstretched and his index finger pointing out. He kind of looks like a cartoon character, but it’s just his personality. Next to him, Eddie giggles with his hand slipped into Richie’s free hand. Richie won’t say it, but it makes his heart flutter to hear his boyfriend give any sort of recognition to his jokes. They’re his pride and joy and exactly how they met. 

 

The employee, a kind looking old man with a bright smile on his face, nods his head turns around to grab what Richie ordered. Richie straightens himself out giving Eddie enough room to slip next to him whilst still holding his hand. Eddie rests his head on Richie’s shoulder and Richie rests his head on Eddie’s head. It’s been awhile since they’ve been on a date like this, Eddie finally got a job in a hospital as a nurse and Richie picked up a job at a radio station. They get to spend nights in most of the time but during the day there’s no time for anything special, but this year is different. Richie has a plan, but he’s pushing it to the back of his mind and he’s going to keep it there for a while. 

 

“Okay, here you go, two cookie doughs. Have a nice day you two!” The old man hands them their ice cream with a smile. Richie nods his head and goes to find a table but not before giving him a thanks from both the boys. 

 

Eddie feels like he’s on their first date again, Richie didn’t plan this with him at all so it came as a complete surprise when Richie was dragging them out of the house. He’s excited, no doubt, and seeing the ice cream parlor made his stomach do flips. This is the ice cream parlor he met Richie in, they’ve only been in it a few times but he can recreate the whole scene by just looking in. A piece of him wonders if Richie has something special planned, they haven’t been here in years and suddenly they’re back without a reason. He doesn’t linger on it for long though, he’s got a date to enjoy.

 

Richie takes them to a table by the window, the same table he saw Eddie in for the first time. He knows Eddie knows where they’re sitting too because the minute Richie stops in front of the table his face lights up. Richie puts his bowl of ice cream on the table and pulls a seat out for Eddie with both his hands and bows like a butler. “For you, my love.”

 

Eddie gives him a shove and a laugh, “thank you kind sir.” he presses a kiss against Richie’s lips and sits down to be pushed in by Richie. Richie does that much then takes a seat right next to Eddie and they start to eat. 

 

If it wasn’t for the ice cream in their mouths they’d probably be talking a bit more but cookie dough is their favorite ice cream flavor and this parlor makes it perfect. Richie’s watching Eddie eat too, he’s kind of mesmerized by the look on his boyfriend’s face. He’s smiling and making sounds that tell Richie he’s enjoying his food. Naturally, Richie doesn’t stay quiet for too long. “Hey, Eds?” 

 

“Yeah Rich?” Eddie asks perking his head up with his tongue on his mountain of ice cream. It makes Richie chuckle.

 

“Fucking dork… But uh, do you remember when we first met?” He takes another bite of his ice cream and keeps his eyes on the boy ahead of him. 

 

Eddie nods enthusiastically. “Of course I remember when we first met, how could I ever forget?”

 

Richie smiles and continues to eat his ice cream. Eddie smiles too at the found memory. How could either of them forget? It was kind of a sad day for both of them, they were each other’s silver lining. 

 

…

 

_ Richie walked into the ice cream parlor, he didn’t bother to read the name of it because he didn’t intend on coming back ever again. His clothes weren’t the best, the pants were probably dirty and his shirt might be stained but he didn’t care. About four weeks ago his father passed away in his sleep. Quick and painless but it tore Richie apart. The funeral was about three weeks ago and ever since Richie has hidden himself away in his shared apartment barely leaving for anything except a quick bite to eat. His roommate, Stan, eventually made him leave because he hadn’t been outside in what seemed like forever. Richie did it, of course, he’s jobless and just moping around hoping Stan can pay all the bills is selfish. _

 

_ Now he’s pushing his way into the bright pink ice cream parlor with the intention of getting ice cream and getting out. He’s quick to order his rocky road ice cream but the old man is slow to give it to him. As he hands the ice cream cup to Richie he nods in the direction of a boy in a black hoodie who is hunched over his table looking miserable and close to tears. _

 

_ “Y’know, he bought rocky road too.”  _

 

_ Richie doesn’t know why he listened to what the old man had to say but he did. He stopped right in front of the miserable boy with his ice cream in hand and asked the simple yet cliche saying everyone knows. _

 

_ “Can I sit here?”  _

 

_ Eddie snaps his head up and meets the eyes of the equally miserable looking boy. There are free seats all around them, barely anybody goes into the parlor. A part of Eddie wants to tell Richie to beat it but he knows if he tries to sound tough his voice will crack to hell. So instead he nods and looks down at his cup and tries to ignore the beautiful boy across from him.  _

 

_ Richie takes a seat and he can’t take his eyes off Eddie. He wasn’t expecting the boy to be so pretty, oh god he’s pretty. He’s got doe eyes and freckles littering his face. Richie doesn’t wanna come off as creepy so he doesn’t stare for long. They don’t say anything but Richie doesn’t miss the unmistakable sounds of sniffling coming from Eddie. It tugs at his broken heart strings. So Richie does his best to push aside his feelings and cracks a joke. _

 

_ “Y’know, I thought you only had to say “what’re you in here for” in prison.”  _

 

_ Eddie looked back up at him, he doesn’t say anything and he doesn’t really find the joke all that amusing but given his circumstances, he cracks a smile. His circumstances were this, the night before Eddie flew back from visiting his mom in Derry Maine, it was supposed to be casual until three days in. She started offering conversion therapy. He ended up screaming at her, telling her he was normal and if she couldn’t accept that then she was no mother of his. She shot back and told him he wasn’t her son so Eddie left with the intention of never coming back. He’s been home for not even a full twenty-four hours but it’s shaping out to be the worst day of his life. Richie is the first person who has been genuinely nice to him in a few days now besides the ice cream man and his roommate, but for some reason this means a bit more.  _

 

_ Richie’s face broke out into an excited grin, he got a smile out of the boy. He feels more excited than he thought he would but it makes him feel like he’s on cloud nine. So he tries to keep the jokes coming. “I’m Richard Tozier, Dick for short and Richie for medium.” _

 

_ Eddie laughs, like cover your mouth don’t be too loud laugh. He takes his hand and grips it righter than Richie was expecting from the smaller boy. He’s almost aroused by it. “Edward Kaspbrak, but everyone calls me Eddie.” _

 

_ Richie smirks and pulls his hand away. “Then I’m gonna be the one to call you Eds.” _

 

_ “No.”  _

 

…

 

“Eds.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Richie shifts his chair ever so slightly closer to Eddie and presses his cold lips onto his cheeks. Eddie squeaks out of shock but covers it up with a laugh. Richie smiles into the kiss. When he pulls away he rests his head on Eddie’s shoulder. 

 

“You’re the love of my life, Eddie.” Eddie blushes but he doesn’t hesitate to lean down and capture his boyfriend’s still cold lips into a bruising kiss. He doesn’t care who sees them, he only cares about the boy in front of him and how much he loves him.

 

“You’re everything, Richie. Please, never leave me.” Richie nods his head quickly.

 

“I promise on my life. You’re it for me Eddie Kaspbrak.” Eddie feels his heart melt and he kisses him again. It’s crazy, they both think, how it all started on a rainy day in this bright pink ice cream parlor. 


	2. February 1st, 2017, Vanilla:

Eddie was kind of shocked to be back outside the ice cream parlor a month later. He admits, when Richie told him they were going out right on the first, he did suspect it. He doesn’t wanna ask why Richie brought them back. He thinks the ignorance of it all is exciting and romantic, and he knows that Richie will just say some dumb joke if he asks. Richie, on the other hand, is pretty damn relieved Eddie hasn’t asked any questions. He knows Eddie obviously has questions, the expressions on his face tell him as much but to maintain his untold plan it has to stay this way,

 

“Hello there, good sir!” Richie cried out as he made his way to the counter where the same old man waits. Richie thinks a lot of the old man, he considers him half the reason he met Eddie and honestly it’s true. He wouldn’t have even noticed Eddie in his grief if the man didn’t direct his attention. Richie wouldn’t have even gone on a date with Eddie if it wasn’t for him.

 

“Two vanillas please, one cone and one bowl.” the old man nods his head and it’s basically the same routine as before. As the frozen treats are handed to them, Eddie slips his hand into Richie’s like the date before and guides them to the same table they sat at before. 

 

When they reach the table Richie goes to pull a chair out for Eddie but Eddie beats him to it. He pulls Richie’s chair out with a smirk, Richie thinks he just fell even harder for the boy he’s already deep in love with. Richie dramatically yet delicately places a hand on his chest and lowers himself onto the chair with his jaw dropped. Eddie giggled and pressed a kiss on his nose making Richie blush. Eddie pushed him in then sat in his own seat.

 

“Such a gentleman my Eddie Spaghetti is.” He said as he fake fanned himself. Eddie gave him a little bow and a wink.

 

“I’m a master of seduction.” Richie barked out a laugh at his boyfriend but nodded his head in total agreement. Eddie just rolled his eyes and started digging into his plain ice cream.

 

Richie took a few bites before starting up a conversation like the date before. “So my prince, I think it’s pretty  _ charming _ that we managed to meet in a cute little parlor like this. Don’t you think?” 

 

Eddie shyly smiled at the thought because he agreed, one hundred percent Eddie thought it was very…  _ charming _ . He nods his head to agree with Richie and prompt him to continue. 

 

“But I think where I asked you out was way more romantic.” 

 

…

 

_ Richie was wiping off his sweaty hands on his pants as he watched Eddie point out the different flowers he likes planted around them. Richie knows he likes Eddie at this point, they’ve known each other for almost four months and in that time Richie managed to make the best friend he’s ever had and fall for him. Oh, has he fallen for Eddie. A piece of him thinks that Eddie might like him too but if he thinks about it too long he only points out his flaws and overall beats himself up. He’d rather pin than hope that Eddie is pinning too.  _

 

_ Eddie, on the other hand, already knows Richie likes him. He didn’t figure it out through the obvious hints though, he saw Richie’s texts once while Richie was in the bathroom and left his phone by Eddie. The text was from Stan and it said this. _

 

Stan the man: oh my god just ask Eddie out! I can’t take your pinning… 

 

_ His face heated up instantly, he’s liked Richie almost from the moment he met him. At that moment he considered bursting into Richie’s bathroom and asking him out right then and there, but then he didn’t. Instead, he was going to be the biggest tease he could be. _

 

_ He has, but it’s been almost three weeks and Eddie can’t take it. He knows Richie likes him back and he likes Richie, they could’ve asked each other out that night but nope. He had to be the twinkiest twink he could be, didn’t he? Today, he was ending this. _

 

_ Richie was actually paying attention to everything Eddie was saying. He was quietly trying to memorize the way Eddie expressed his liking to each flower because he wants to be that person. He wants Eddie to know he cares about him and wants to know everything about him. It’s cheesy as fuck but Richie knows Eddie isn’t the everyday boy. Nobody can be as amazing as Eddie, he’s special.  _

 

_ Eddie finally decides enough is enough when they sit on a bench. “Y’know, my favorite flowers are peonies.”  _

 

_ Richie perks up his head and shakes his head quickly with a dopey smile. “Those are beautiful!”  _

 

_ Eddie nods his head in agreeance. “Yeah, what’s your favorite flower, Rich?” _

 

_ Richie audibly swallows the lump in his throat. Richie doesn’t know shit about flowers, he’s never given it much thought. Of course he knows a few, the basics like roses and daisies…  He scratches the back of his neck knowing he’s taking a while to answer but then a light bulb goes off in his head and he turns to Eddie with a wide stretched smile. “I like carnations. My mom and dad used to grow them in our backyard and for my birthday they’d wake me up with one in hand and a card.”  _

 

_ Eddie feels his heart melt at the thought of it, a young Richie waking up to see his parents with a big buck-toothed smile. Knowing that kind of gives Eddie a bit of a boost to do what he’s gonna do next.  _

 

_ “There’s a movie theatre by my house, got a lot of new movies showing. What do you say to dinner and a movie tomorrow, Rich? I’ll pick you up and… yeah.” _

 

_ Richie feels his heart flutter and his stomach release a thousand butterflies. Sure, they’ve gone to the movie before but they’ve never planned it like this. This… this is Eddie asking Richie out. Richie reaches out and places his bigger hands on Eddie’s hands and nods his head enthusiastically.  _

 

_ “God yes, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to go on a date with you.” Eddie giggles. _

 

_ “Me too Richie.” _

 

…

 

“I asked you out, Richie.” Eddie replied with an uncontrollable smile. 

 

“Please, you only did that because I telepathically told you to.” 

 

Eddie rolled his eyes and leaned over to give Richie a kiss. “Yes, that’s exactly what happened. I was in awe.” 

 

Richie snorted then took a bite of his ice cream. “Seriously though, Eds.” He started with his mouth full, “if you didn’t ask me out we’d probably still just be friends. You built the start of our beautiful concoction and for that, I am eternally grateful.”

 

Eddie smiled, “I love you too, Richie.” 


	3. March 1st, 2017, Chocolate:

When Eddie woke up that morning he wondered if Richie was gonna take them back to the ice cream parlor. Hell, he wondered it the night before, and the week before, actually the day after the second date. He can’t connect the dots, these dates are obviously apart of something and Eddie was struggling to even get a clue. Anything that he thought of was either too plain or too insane even for Richie. There was one idea that sat in the back of his mind, it was more like an image because he didn’t dare actually think out the whole thing in words. He pushes it away as Richie comes up to him with chocolate ice cream in hand.

 

Richie, on the other hand, is thrilled this is working out. It’s already the third date and his plan is working perfectly. Richie isn’t dumb, he knows Eddie is onto something but he also knows that Eddie can’t figure it out. It’s good for Richie, he wants it that way.

 

Eddie doesn’t ask any questions when he was handed his ice cream, he just smiled and kissed Richie’s nose.

 

“Chocolate?” Eddie started looking down at his cone. “Richie, you know you get stomach aches when you eat chocolate.”

 

Richie nodded in agreeance and huffed out a single chuckle. “You sounded like that SpongeBob meme.”

 

Eddie snorted and gave Richie a light shove. “God, memes have ruined your life.”

 

“Oh please,” Richie said with a mouth full of ice cream. “Memes make this relationship work. They’ve contributed since day one.”

 

…

 

_Richie sat on his couch looking at the long mirror he had set up a few hours ago. Why he set up the mirror? He was making sure his outfits didn’t look too dorky for his date, he was sitting down in casual positions for almost a half hour making sure it looks okay enough for Eddie. He honestly lost track of time as he did this, he was about to try on another outfit when he heard a knock at his door. Richie felt his whole body freeze, he wasn’t wearing what he considered to be his best outfit. He was wearing a white t-shirt and black pants. Around that white t-shirt was a white Hawaiian shirt with green printed palm trees and red flowers. Admittedly, he didn’t think it looked all that bad for a casual look but this was a date. A date he was looking forward to._

 

_He didn’t have time to change though, he took a deep breath and accepted that he was wearing that to his date with Eddie. Fuck, his date with Eddie Kaspbrak. Maybe he should change-_

 

 _Another knock._ Nope, this is it _, he thought,_ this is it _. He went to open the door._

 

 _Nothing could’ve prepared him for what he was gonna see when he opened that door, nothing, and nobody. Eddie was standing there in white overall shorts and a white shirt with black spots. As if that wasn’t enough, he was wearing very natural makeup, Richie almost didn’t notice. Not that he looked at them or anything, but Richie wanted Eddie to crush him with his thighs because they were_ hot _. In Eddie’s hands was a small bouquet of white carnations._

  

_“Hi, Rich.” Eddie said softly, his voice made Richie melt on the spot, Eddie was gonna end up taking a puddle of flustered bi goo to the movies. Richie, of course, couldn’t melt. He needed this to be perfect so he could do this again and again._

 

_“Holy shit, you make me gayer.” He blurted out, y’know, instead of a simple hello._

 

_Eddie giggled, thoroughly increasing his chances of taking goo on a date. “Here, I got you flowers.”_

 

_Richie tore his gaze off the beautiful boy in front of him and looked down at the flowers he was being handed. Beautiful white carnations, they must’ve coasted a pretty penny to get so many and in such great condition. That wasn’t what Richie was thinking of though. “You… you remembered…” His favorite flower._

 

_Eddie nodded enthusiastically with a wide, proud smile. A smile Richie sees kids give when they know they did something right, though, there’s something about seeing it on Eddie that makes him burn up inside._

 

_Richie pulls Eddie into a hug, “thank you, Eddie.”_

 

_Eddie wraps both his arms around Richie and hugs him tightly. “I knew you’d like them.”_

 

_After the surprisingly not awkward emotional scene, they walked down to the lobby of Richie’s apartment complex only to see that in the time Eddie spent picking Richie up it started pouring rain. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem for someone prepared, but they’re gay so. Eddie looked up at Richie and nervously chuckled knowing that since neither of them had an umbrella or a car, they couldn’t really go to the theatre._

 

_“You don’t happen to have a big enough umbrella for the both of us, do you?” Eddie asked with slight hope. Richie let out a breathy laugh and shook his head._

 

_“Not unless you count that small yellow one I got for a gag gift on my birthday." Richie shrugged._

 

_Eddie sighed and held his head a little lower, “then I hope you weren’t too excited about seeing a movie with me.”_

 

_Richie feels upset for a second, he knows he didn’t cause the rain but clearly Eddie put a lot of thought into this whole date. I mean, flowers and such a cute cute cute outfit? It made Richie wanna have a personal talk with the clouds about how his date deserves better. But he can’t do that, instead, he tries a different approach._

 

_“Aw, Eds.” He grabs Eddie’s hand, “the only reason this date is exciting is because I’m gonna spend it with you. I don’t need a movie to enjoy spending time with you.”_

 

_He didn’t miss the way Eddie’s cheeks flushed pink or the way his eyes widened. Richie leaned more towards Eddie’s hand and pressed a soft kiss against his knuckles. “Now, we’re going to go back to my apartment. We’re gonna hope that takeout is willing to come all the way in this rain and watch hour-long vine compilations. All the while I’m going to enjoy every moment I spend with you and hope you feel the same. Okay?”_

 

_Eddie didn’t hesitate to pull Richie’s entire head down to his level and press a bruising first kiss against his chapped lips. Richie was caught so off guard he didn’t even get to kiss back but Eddie didn’t seem to mind because his smile was still brighter than the sun hidden outside. “Okay.”_

 

_And that’s what they did. They cuddled on Richie’s old couch with Chinese takeout while watching vines on Richie’s computer because his tv couldn’t. If you ask Richie at any time of the day, he’ll tell you that nothing made him fall harder for Eddie than hearing him yell, “this bitch empty! YEET!”_

 

…

 

“Bold of you to assume you haven’t ruined my life.” Eddie challenged before scooping a bite of his ice cream into his mouth. Richie felt something twist inside, nerves no doubt, he knows Eddie meant it as a joke but insecurities never back down.

 

“I hope you don’t regret it, you’re stuck with me.” He intends that to be a joke but his voice is too timid to pull it off. Eddie looks back over at him and understands Richie in a second. He reaches his free hand over to Richie’s and intertwines them.

 

“You ruined Edward Christopher Kaspbraks life. Eddie Kaspbrak couldn’t be happier for you to stomp that old guy out.” His tone is loving but his words are firm. It makes Richie’s heard swell with love.

 

“Richie Tozier loves you, Eddie Kaspbrak.” Richie leans over and gives Eddie a disgustingly cheesy Eskimo kiss. Eddie returns it.

 

“Eddie Kaspbrak loves you too, Richie Tozier.”


	4. April 1st, 2017, Cotton Candy:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so I didn't pre read this because I'm lazy. Sorry maybe I will later. In the meantime please enjoy my mindless fluff.

“How about a surprise flavor today?” The old man behind the counter asks Richie before he can even order. Richie is caught off guard by the question but he has to admit, he didn’t even have a clue for a flavor. He’s purposely been ordering what he does based on the moment he wants to look back on. The first was cookie dough, both his and Eddie’s favorite flavor and besides each other, something sweet while they look back on one of the most important moments of their lives. The second being vanilla for when Eddie asked him out because it’s, well, vanilla. Plain but sweet, asking someone out is the start of something, not the best but you savor it. The third, chocolate, was bold with a strong flavor you’ll always remember, Richie likes to think of their first date as such. 

 

This flavor, he hadn’t the slightest idea. He was hoping that it would just pop into his head when he saw the flavors on display. It didn’t. Thank god for this old man they keep meeting. 

 

“God yes, please suggest something.” The man chuckles and heads over to scoop out the surprise flavor. Richie looks over at Eddie who is sitting at their usual spot looking down at his phone with a smile. Richie smiles too, the lighting on his smaller boyfriend is making his features so soft. Of course, Richie knows he’s not all soft, but the way he looks is captivating. He almost forgets about the ice cream he’s waiting for. 

 

Eddie isn’t smiling at his phone for the reason Richie thinks he might be. He’s rereading the texts they’ve shared to find clues that might help him figure out why they keep going on these monthly ice cream dates. Don’t get him wrong, he’s absolutely adoring having something to look forward to every month now. It just doesn’t make any sense why all of a sudden Richie is dragging him off to a place with such emotional value. He’s asked before but Richie brushes it off. A part of him likes the mystery but he’s feeling kind of desperate to the point of consuming his thoughts even during the rest of the month. He’s pretty sure not a day has passed that he doesn’t wonder about these dates. 

 

He half expected Richie to skip out on this date because it’s April Fools Day. In fact, leading up to the date he was kind of nervous that they would skip it. He may be confused beyond belief but he still enjoys the dates. 

 

“Thank you very much!” Richie says as he grabs the ice cream from the man’s hand. He looks down at the chosen flavor and his thankful expression quickly changes into an amused confused one. 

 

“Well uh, what flavor is it?” He asks with a chuckle. The old man chuckles with him.

 

“Cotton candy, for April Fools Day. Just something to make you smile.” Richie huffs with a smile and nods his head. He goes to walk over to Eddie but does a backtrack to ask one more thing.

 

Eddie finally decides to put his phone to rest, he’s not finding any clues and he still wants to spend time with his boyfriend. Right as he puts his phone down he feels something way too cold fall right down his shirt. An ice cube. 

 

Eddie squeaks in surprise and arches his back in a poor attempt to get away from it. “Richie!” 

 

Richie, who has been laughing since he dropped the ice cube down his shirt, just laughs into his own shoulder drying not to drop the ice cream. Eddie runs his hands up and down his back trying to fish the ice cube out best he can but in the end he needs Richie’s ridiculously long arms to get it. When he does, Richie presses a kiss to Eddie’s temple.

 

“April Fools, Edward Spaghedward!” He cheered happily. Eddie punched him hard in the arm and rolled his eyes but didn’t bother to hide his smile.

 

“You’re an absolute dick, Richard.” He says as he grabs his ice cream from Richie’s hand. 

 

“That’s my name! Besides, you love my little jokes!” Eddie scoffs at that.

 

“Oh please, they usually leave me soaked.” He guesteres to his back by reaching behind him and ghosting his hand up and down. Richie nods his head like he understands Eddie’s point.

 

“Yeah, but there’s no way you hate them.”

 

…

 

_ Four months. Four months he’s shared with Eddie and Richie never has ever felt more in love in his life. In the past four months, Eddie bought a new apartment and asked Richie to move in with him. Eddie told him at first that it was for financial reasons but as soon as Richie moved in he admitted that money was only half the reason.  _

 

_ Eddie has never had a long term relationship before. He was open to trying at one point but nobody interested him and people that showed interest in him only wanted sex. And, sure, four months isn’t that long. In fact he told Richie that when they were discussing it, but there was just so much there. Eddie’s never felt the way he does with Richie and he knows that he doesn’t wanna miss a moment he could be spending with him. Of course he doesn’t mean to sound clingy but it’s true.  _

 

_ Lucky for him, Richie doesn’t think it’s clingy. He actually agrees with Eddie and admits that he thinks Eddie is one of the best things that’s ever happened to him. They moved in not to long after and have been happy since. _

 

_ On this particular week, Eddie has been in a weird mood. He spent the week before visiting his mom back in Derry because she told him that the hospital confirmed she only had a few months left to live. It didn’t shock Eddie to find out that the doctor had actually said that she should start eating better and exercise more or she won’t expect to live much longer. He was furious, but he didn’t wanna start a fight with her. He fought anyway.  _

 

_ The last time Eddie saw his mom, she told him she was no son of his. Eddie accepted this, after all, it’s how he met Richie. But when he got the phone call he felt the guilt bubble in his gut at the thought of leaving her. Yeah, he knew deep down that it was a lie, but she’s his mom so he feels like he  _ has  _ to show up. _

 

_ She tried to meddle in his love life by suggesting a woman she met in town named Myra. Eddie started the fight by telling her that she needed to stop suggesting people like she did before when she knew he was gay. The fight ended when he told her that Richie loved him even if she didn’t.  _

 

_ But that’s got Eddie wondering. Does Richie love him? Sure, they’ve been dating for four months but never in that time have either of them said that they loved each other. Eddie knew he loved Richie though. In any pathetic past relationship he had, he never told them that he loved them. Probably because he never did. He’s nervous about loving Richie though, it’s the first time he’s been in love with  _ anyone. 

 

_ Anxiety chipped away at him constantly after the fight, was he falling in love too fast? Did Richie love him? Was Eddie just falling for the first guy who showed him sympathy? He threw that last thought away the moment he thought it. He loves Richie, not because he comforted him after a fight with his mom.  _

 

_ The gut wrenching question sticks with him as he walks into his shared apartment on a friday night. He’s not tired but he feels pretty out of it as he fumbles with the keys to the door. Maybe he’d talk to Richie about this, maybe they can have a mature and hopefully not awkward conversation about their feelings. Yeah, Eddie likes the sound of that. _

 

_ He doesn’t get that. The minute he opens the door he’s met with a green flash that hits the wall next to him with a loud pop and squirts water all over him and the floor. It’s a water balloon. Eddie lets out a squeak in surprise before he registers that the only way that water balloon could’ve been thrown was from his boyfriend’s hand. _

 

_ “Richard. Fucking. Tozier.” He spat out with amusement in his voice. He can see the top of his black curly hair head from behind the couch and a bucket filled with more green balloons. _

 

_ “There’s another bucket by the table, I’ll give you a two minute head start!” Eddie giggled in disbelief but ran over to where the bucket was with blue balloons. Eddie knows he was thinking of something before this, but in the sudden excitement he couldn’t bring himself to remember or care.  _

 

_ Eddie dove to the floor and positioned the white chairs to protect his base. He went to grab two balloons for each hand then crouched so he could just barely see where his boyfriend was. It didn’t take long for Richie to realize Eddie was in full fighting mode, so he threw a balloon in what he hoped was the right angle to hit Eddie. It wasn’t, it splattered on the wall above him which sparked a surprised yet delighted squeak out of Eddie. He fired back by throwing one of his balloons which just barely missed Richie’s head. As anyone hearing this story could imagine, they broke out into a full on water balloon fight. Richie was blindly throwing them half the time and Eddie stood up one too many times.  _

 

_ They barely hit each other at all despite how many had been thrown. Eddie’s kind of relieved at that,  _ I’d like not to be spending the rest of tonight treating a black eye on my boyfriend.  _ But he spoke too soon, as soon as the thought passed he chucked one of his balloons and hit Richie right in the face causing him to fall backwards and yelp.  _

 

_ Eddie felt triumph at first but that faded pretty quickly when he realized he just hit his boyfriend pretty hard. He stumbled over to Richie as he tried not to slip on the split water. He could hear some muffled noises coming from where his boyfriend had collapsed on the floor.  _

 

_ “Shit, Rich, you okay?” He asked as he looked over to see Richie on his stomach with his back going up and down in rapid motions. For a second Eddie thought he might be crying, but then he rolled over to reveal the only wetness on his face was the water he was hit with.  _

 

_ He was laughing, giggling like a little kid who heard a stupid joke. His face was so full of joy and love it drove Eddie to start laughing with him. He dropped next to Richie and dug his face into his chest and laughed loudly without a care. When they finally started to calm down, Richie grabbed Eddie’s face with both his hands and stared into his eyes. Eddie could get lost in Richie’s beautiful blue eyes, but right now all he can see in them is pure love. All the love a man can offer. Eddie realizes in that moment, that all that love is his.  _

 

_ “I love you, Eddie.” He whispers so quietly, like he’s afraid of Eddie rejecting him.  _

 

_ Eddie feels… nothing he thought he would. All the anxiety he felt before when he even thought about it didn’t dare show its ugly head. Instead, he laughs. He laughs like he’s high off the feeling of being so and totally in love. Oh, he’s so deep in love.  _

 

_ Richie lays there confused but laughs with him. When Eddie speaks again he eases any second thought Richie was having.  _

 

_ “Oh, Richie. I love you too. I love you so fucking much.” Then he kisses him. A sickly sweet kiss that leaves both of them breathless but they’re both so in love they don’t fucking care. _

 

_ … _

 

“I guess I don’t hate them, Rich. They make me love you.” Richie huffs out a laugh and leans over to kiss his head.

 

“I love you too.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact I actually write this story on a pink google docs in a blue font with a picture I made on the top for inspiration.

**Author's Note:**

> this shit gayyyyy


End file.
